Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Cardinals Extend Matt Carpenter

By and | at

The Cardinals have locked up a key member of their lineup and one of their longest-tenured players, announcing on Wednesday the signing of infielder Matt Carpenter to a two-year contract extension spanning the 2020-21 seasons. Carpenter, a client of SSG Baseball, will reportedly earn $39MM on the new arrangement. He’d previously been signed through the end of the 2019 season with a club option for the 2020 campaign.

Matt Carpenter | Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Carpenter will reportedly take home annual salaries of $18.5MM in 2020 and 2021, with a vesting option for the same amount triggering if he makes a combined 1100 plate appearances in 2020-21 (with at least 550 of those 1100 coming in 2021). If the option does not vest, it’ll function as a pure club option with a $2MM buyout. Carpenter will also pick up a no-trade provision for the 2020 season.

Carpenter, 33, is coming off of a stellar 2018 season in which he posted a hefty .257/.374/.523 slash line with a career-high 36 home runs. He has turned in well-above-average offensive work in every one of his seven full seasons in the majors. The new deal comes as Carpenter’s prior pact neared a conclusion. His early 2014 extension included a $14.5MM salary for the current season along with a $18.5MM club option ($2MM buyout) for 2020.

Carpenter joins newly acquired first baseman Paul Goldschmidt in signing on for the foreseeable future. There’s risk in locking into two such corner pieces into their mid-thirties, but both are immensely productive hitters. With that duo now under control through the 2021 season at the very least, it seems that Carpenter will continue to hold down third base for the Cards for the foreseeable future. Carpenter has some experience at second base as well, but the Cards already have a premium defensive option at that position, Kolten Wong, under contract on a long-term deal of his own that runs through the 2020 season and contains a club option for 2021.

That $19.5MM annual value on the new contract won’t put the Cardinals near the luxury tax threshold but will boost the amount of money already committed to next year’s payroll to a hefty $147MM. Fortunately for the Cards, they’re likely ticketed for a small class of arbitration-eligible players, as only John Brebbia, Alex Reyes, John Gant and Dominic Leone are set to receive arbitration raises. Of that quartet, the first three will be eligible for the first time. The Cards will also face a $13MM option ($1MM buyout) on infielder Jedd Gyorko.

With Carpenter now locked into place, the Cardinals suddenly look to have nearly their entire 2020 lineup in house. Goldschmidt, Carpenter, Wong and Paul DeJong are all under contract for next season, as is franchise icon Yadier Molina. Harrison Bader has cemented himself as the team’s center fielder, and although Marcell Ozuna is slated to hit free agency, he’s expected to be replaced by Tyler O’Neill in 2020 and beyond. Dexter Fowler remains under contract through 2021 and figures to handle a corner position unless he struggles through a similarly nightmarish campaign to the one he experienced in 2018.

The Cardinals’ system has a few quality third base prospects, led by 2018 first-rounder Nolan Gorman, but most of the team’s talent in that regard is still multiple years from MLB readiness. It’s possible that Elehuris Montero could’ve been ready for a look in the Majors late in 2019 or at some point in 2020, but he’s still just 20 years of age and only getting his feet wet in Double-A. Gorman has yet to play above A-ball, while well-regarded 18-year-old Malcom Nunez will start his pro career in Rookie ball this summer. By the time Carpenter’s contract is nearing its conclusion, perhaps one of those promising young players will be on the cusp of the big leagues, but the lack of an immediate heir-apparent likely further pushed the Cards into keeping Carpenter on board into the 2021 season.

The Cardinals originally announced a press conference earlier this afternoon. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch broke the news that the presser was to announce a new deal for Carpenter. MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch reported the length of the contract (Twitter link). The Athletic’s Mark Saxon reported the terms of the deal (via Twitter), with Goold adding the yearly breakdown and 2020 no-trade protection.

Dodgers Place Russell Martin On 10-Day IL

By | at

The Dodgers announced today that backstop Russell Martin has been placed on the 10-day injured list with lower back inflammation. He’ll be replaced on the active roster by fellow receiver Rocky Gale.

Acquired over the winter via trade, Martin has shared time behind the plate with Austin Barnes. Expectations were tempered for the 36-year-old’s second stint in Los Angeles, as he has been limited by injuries and seen his offensive numbers dip in recent seasons. But things had gone rather well to this point, with Martin off to a .333/.500/.600 start with the bat through 22 plate appearances.

Dipoto On Mariners’ Hot Start

By | at

Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto’s frequent roster tinkering is now legend. It’s only natural to wonder whether the club’s fast start to the 2019 season will spur another round of action, and Dipoto discussed the matter with Larry Stone of the Seattle Times.

Dipoto’s most recent round of tweaks was intended to set the club up for near-future success, with the idea being to spend a year regrouping in hopes of a breakout 2020 campaign. While he says an 11-2 run to begin the year won’t likely result in a mid-season buying spree, the top Seattle baseball exec did seem to acknowledge that the performance could impact the team’s roster calculations.

First and foremost, Dipoto made clear that the M’s “won’t take anything away from our long-term plan in order to address short-term needs.” But he wasn’t shy to admit that he’s “intrigued” and “excited” by the development and output he’s seen from the roster he has already assembled. If the club is “still performing like the best lineup in history” at the trade deadline, he says, “clearly we’ll address areas of need.”

It sounds as if the door is at least potentially open to some win-now movement, then, though the Mariners will likely see how things play out and may not be overly bold when the time comes. As Dipoto says, though, he has been “creative” in his past dealmaking — including an early-season, buy-side swap last year — so it’s tough to rule anything out.

Putting aside the possibility of additions, the early run may be enough to stave off or even eliminate some veteran departures that might otherwise have been anticipated. “The way guys are playing together right now, I have no interest in changing the rhythm and mojo going on,” Dipoto said when asked about some of the team’s short-term, elder statesmen. “Let’s let it play out a bit.”

That attitude seemingly represents a departure from the late-spring dealmaking posture that the M’s seemed to take. Their decision to hold onto sluggers Edwin Encarnacion and Jay Bruce, in particular, seemed mostly to reflect a lack of demand. Keeping them on the roster was supposed to help keep the team competitive and provide a showcase for a potential mid-season swap.

Now, there’s a greater likelihood that the Mariners will at least hold steady and let the roster take things wherever it can. But as Dipoto and Stone both caution, there’s still plenty of time in advance of the trade deadline for the situation to change. For now, the GM is just watching and enjoying.

Nationals, Bud Norris Discussing Minor League Deal

By | at

TODAY: The team is evaluating the results of an MRI that Norris underwent today, Ghiroli tweets. If it comes back clean, the agreement will go into effect; otherwise, the club will potentially reconsider.

YESTERDAY, 3:52pm: Nationals GM Mike Rizzo tells reporters that there’s no agreement between the two sides, but Norris is headed to the team’s spring complex to evaluate him (Twitter link via Zuckerman). If the team deems him physically ready, a minor league agreement will be completed.

3:32pm: There’s no agreement in place between the two sides just yet, Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post tweets. There’s mutual interest between the two sides, but Dougherty notes that the Nats “need to be convinced that Norris is healthy enough to be effective.”

Norris and the Jays agreed to part ways last week due to the fact that he felt ready to pitch at the MLB level while the Toronto organization wanted him to continue building arm strength, so perhaps there’s a similar dynamic at play here.

2:23pm: The Nationals have agreed to a deal with right-hander Bud Norris, according to Britt Ghiroli of The Athletic (via Twitter). It’ll be a minors pact if completed, Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com tweets. Norris will first need to pass a physical before a deal is finalized.

Norris will not head directly onto the active roster, but may not be far from joining a team that’s badly in need of relief. The Nats bullpen has been a mess in the early going, with all but two members of the unit carrying earned run averages north of 5 per nine.

The veteran Norris could offer a key stabilizing presence. The 34-year-old has been a solid performer since moving into a full-time relief role. Over the past two seasons, he owns a 3.91 ERA with 10.6 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9 over 119 2/3 innings. Norris has compiled 47 saves in that span as well, though he won’t be expected to handle the ninth in D.C.

Norris had been expected to crack the Blue Jays pen after surprisingly settling for a minor-league deal. The Toronto org paid him a $100K retention bonus late in camp to keep him around, but ultimately released him right at the start of the season. It seems that Norris believed he was ready for the majors, while the club wanted him to keep throwing in extended camp to build his arm strength.

It’s not known how the Nats feel about the matter of Norris’s readiness. He has worked in the mid-nineties with his fastball in recent years. Like most pitchers, Norris is likelier to be successful if he has the velocity when he wants it. But the D.C. org is also in no position to turn up its nose at an experienced pitcher who isn’t quite on top of his game. Presumably, they’ll bring him onto the active roster in relatively short order so long as Norris seems mostly himself.

Call-Ups: Tim Collins, Joe Harvey

By | at

We’ll cover a few of the day’s notable call-ups in this post:

  • The Cubs will promote lefty Tim Collins to take the roster spot of injured starter Jon Lester, according to Jesse Rogers of ESPNChicago.com (via Twitter). Collins inked a MLB deal late this spring after being cut loose by the Twins and was optioned to open the season. He’ll try to help settle a relief unit that has sputtered out of the gates. Collins didn’t exactly excel last year with the Nats, but did make it his way back to full health and back up to the majors after several lost seasons. He has racked up an impressive number of strikeouts in 2019, with 13 in 9 1/3 spring innings and three more in 2 2/3 at Triple-A.
  • Joining the Yankees roster is right-handed reliever Joe Harvey, per a club announcement. The club dropped Jonathan Loaisiga back to Triple-A on optional assignment to clear active roster space; Harvey already owned a 40-man spot. With a pair of off-days in the upcoming schedule, Loaisiga can get some work in at Triple-A while the MLB club enjoys an extra reliever. Harvey will get his first taste of the majors at 27 years of age. Last year, he worked to an impressive 1.66 ERA with 10.1 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 in 54 1/3 innings over 38 appearances at the highest level of the minors.

Luke Heimlich Signs In Mexican League

By | at

APRIL 10: How it all happened isn’t clear, but Heimlich made his professional debut yesterday, Wagner notes on Twitter.

MARCH 7: League approval of the deal may not be forthcoming, James Wagner of the New York Times reports. Liga Mexicana de Beisbol president Javier Salinas says that, while the case has yet to be assessed fully, “it’s very difficult to see [Heimlich] registered in the Mexican League.”

It seems that the league has already been involved to this point, though, as Wagner also reports that Heimlich signed “a letter vowing good behavior.”

MARCH 6: Former Oregon State lefty Luke Heimlich has agreed to a contract with los Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos in the Mexican League, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.

The now-23-year-old Heimlich looked to be on his way to becoming a first-round draft pick in 2017 until The Oregonian reported that at the age of 15, Heimlich pleaded guilty to sexually molesting his six-year-old niece. Despite that plea, Heimlich stated in a 2018 New York Times interview that “nothing ever happened.” Heimlich called the guilty plea “a decision me and my parents thought was the best option to move forward as a family,” adding that he has always maintained his innocence.

Heimlich, who wasn’t selected in either the 2017 or 2018 draft, has been connected to the Royals on multiple occasions, with general manager Dayton Moore advocating in a 2018 interview with The Athletic’s Rustin Dodd that he believes Heimlich has “earned an opportunity to play professional baseball.” To this point, no MLB organization has taken that step. A contract to play with the Lamigo Monkeys of the Chinese Professional Baseball League last August was rejected by the league after it had been agreed upon between the team and Heimlich’s representatives.

Offseason In Review: Cleveland Indians

By | at

This is the latest post of MLBTR’s annual Offseason in Review series, in which we take stock of every team’s winter dealings.

Comfortably atop MLB’s weakest division, the Indians spent the winter trimming salary without falling out of the conversation for a division title.

Major League Signings

  • Oliver Perez, LHP: one year, $2.5MM (includes vesting option)
  • Total spend: $2.5MM

Trades and Claims

Extensions

Notable Minor League Signings

Notable Losses

[Cleveland Indians Depth Chart | Cleveland Indians Payroll Outlook]

Needs Addressed

After a second consecutive postseason exit in the ALDS, this time at the hands of the Astros, the Indians and their fans are growing increasingly impatient as a 70-year World Series drought only grows longer. Entering the offseason, two glaring needs stood out: outfield and bullpen. Even with stars Michael Brantley and Andrew Miller on the team, both areas were weaknesses in 2018; now, with both gone, the Indians have had to look elsewhere to fill the void left by free-agent departures.

With a comparatively paltry total of $2.5MM in guaranteed money handed out, president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti and general manager Mike Chernoff were either unsatisfied with the slate of free agents, not given permission from ownership to spend, or both. However, the front office was active on the trade market, as a quiet offseason featured a smattering of low-key deals that they hope will strengthen the lackluster outfield and bullpen units that hindered last year’s team.

The first move to address the outfield came in a trade with Pittsburgh, with Jordan Luplow the biggest name involved. Though he has thus far failed to earn consistent big-league playing time, his new club should give him every chance to prove himself worthy of a spot in a Major League outfield. The other newcomer of note is Carlos Gonzalez, who is a solid bet to crack the roster this month — before the April 20 opt-out date in his minor league contract. Cleveland will welcome a healthier year from Leonys Martin, who nearly died from an infection just days after the Indians acquired him via trade. He was tendered a contract after embarking upon a remarkable recovery, which he completed this spring in time for regular duty to open the year.

With Carlos Santana making his return to Cleveland and the club adding Hanley Ramirez to serve as a designated hitter, those veterans will look to reestablish themselves as middle-of-the-order sluggers. Trade acquisition Jake Bauers is in the mix in those spots as well, though he’ll also venture into the outfield to find opportunities. The Indians parted ways with veteran Edwin Encarnacion and infielder Yandy Diaz in order to obtain Bauers, a one-time top prospect, from Tampa Bay in a three-team swap. Though Encarnacion, now 36 years old and owed $20MM, has been one of baseball’s most consistent hitters since 2012, his production dipped in 2018. Santana, his replacement, is more than three years younger and less expensive, thanks to $6MM of salary relief received in the swap.

There was also change behind the dish. Yan Gomes was shipped to Washington, shaving salary but leaving Roberto Perez as the lone proven catcher on the roster until a subsequent trade with the Mets brought Kevin Plawecki aboard. On the surface, the transition from Gomes to a combination of Perez and Plawecki is a downgrade. Neither Plawecki nor Perez can equal Gomes on offense or defense; it’s difficult to imagine a scenario where the pair is able to match Gomes’s overall value.

While Oliver Perez was the lone recipient of a Major League contract, other minor moves yielded relievers who could play their way into a bullpen spot during the season. Small trades with the Rays and Marlins brought right-handers Chih-Wei Hu and Nick Wittgren to Cleveland, respectively. Hu owns an impressive minor-league track record, and Wittgren quietly turned in a strong 2018 season. Minor league signees James Hoyt and Tyler Clippard have significant MLB experience as well — the latter, in particular. It sounds as if Clippard could be an option to join the big league staff once he’s sufficiently rehabbed a pectoral injury sustained in Spring Training.

Questions Remaining

Though the Indians may very well maintain their hold on the top spot in the AL Central, their offseason moves have left many unsatisfied with the lack of additions to the bullpen and outfield. With Brantley, Miller and Cody Allen all donning new uniforms in 2019, some may argue that the team has gone backward.

Trade negotiations involving Corey Kluber and Trevor Bauer provided one of the biggest storylines of the offseason, but neither pitcher ended up being moved. If the Indians are less competitive than they’d hoped, those rumors could circulate again this summer and certainly next winter, when Kluber and Bauer will be a year closer to free agency. At the very least, securing Carlos Carrasco through at least 2022 through a team-friendly extension indicates that he’s likely to remain in the fold.

The Indians’ outfield, comprised of Martin, Allen, Bauers, Naquin, and Luplow, remains dangerously thin. Bradley Zimmer, owner of considerable upside, is on track to rejoin the mix sometime in midsummer, though he is yet unproven and will not solve the Indians’ problems alone. Gonzalez should contribute in some capacity, but it seems that the potential payoff in the signing is limited. The entire outfield lacks a likely two-WAR player, and it’s reasonable to question the team’s complacency in this area.

Outside of Brad Hand, there are still no surefire options in the Cleveland ‘pen. Wittgren is the only member of the current bullpen who did not pitch for the Indians last season, which only serves to underscore the puzzling lack of additions to a unit that was questionable even before losing a pair of high-profile free agents. Terry Francona and upper management will rely on unproven commodities like Tyler Olson, Nick Goody, Cody Anderson, and Jon Edwards to give the team valuable innings in 2019. Some of those arms have had success in the past, but leaning heavily on this sort of piecemeal collection is what one would expect from a rebuilding club — not a team with postseason aspirations.

With that in mind, it’s fair to suggest the Indians have fallen behind the AL juggernauts in Boston, Houston, and New York. The team looked outclassed in last season’s ALDS versus the Astros, and it seems that any path to the World Series will run through one of the aforementioned cities. While the Indians’ star power is undeniable, it remains to be seen whether they have the depth to survive a dogfight with the AL’s elite. Still, a starting rotation as dominant as the Indians’ should give the team a fighting chance in a five- or seven-game series.

2019 Season Outlook

While the Indians may have been treading water during the winter, they remain the consensus favorites to win the notoriously weak AL Central. The starting staff is outstanding, with breakout candidate Shane Bieber joining four immensely talented rotation pieces, though the depth will be tested with Mike Clevinger poised to miss over two months of action. The Indians will need superstar infielders Jose Ramirez and Francisco Lindor to find their form — the former started slow; the latter is recovering from leg injuries — in order to fend off the upstart Twins, who have become a trendy pick to challenge for a postseason spot. Regardless, expect to see the Indians in the ALDS again in 2019, seeking to end the Majors’ longest existing World Series drought.

How would you grade the Indians’ offseason moves? (Poll link for app users.)

How would you grade the Indians' offseason?
D 37.59% (1,045 votes)
C 30.25% (841 votes)
F 22.45% (624 votes)
B 7.73% (215 votes)
A 1.98% (55 votes)
Total Votes: 2,780

Jon Niese Signs With Long Island Ducks

By | at

Long-time MLB lefty Jon Niese will try to revive his career with an independent ball stint. He has signed on with the Long Island Ducks, per a club announcement.

Niese hasn’t appeared at any level in the past two seasons. When last he did pitch in the affiliated ranks, back in 2016, he struggled to a 5.50 ERA in 121 frames and packed up early after knee surgery. Most recently, a 2018 spring audition with the Rangers ended when Niese was released after being diagnosed with a sub scapularis muscle strain.

Despite that unfortunate run, there could be hope yet for Niese to get things going. He’s still just 32 years of age, after all, and had worked to a 3.91 ERA over 1,068 1/3 innings with the Mets between 2008 and 2015. If Niese shows well, he could be the latest pitcher to use the Atlantic League as a launching pad to the majors.

Offseason In Review: New York Yankees

By | at

This is the latest post of MLBTR’s annual Offseason in Review series, in which we take stock of every team’s winter dealings.

The Yankees won the American League Wild Card game for a second consecutive season in 2018 but were bounced from the playoffs at the hands of their biggest rivals, setting up an active offseason for general manager Brian Cashman and his staff.

Major League Signings

  • Zack Britton, LHP: Three years, $39MM (includes $14MM option for 2022 season that must be exercised after 2020 season; if Yankees do not exercise option, a player opt-out is triggered)
  • J.A. Happ, LHP: Two years, $34MM (plus $17MM vesting/club option for 2021 season)
  • Adam Ottavino, RHP: Three years, $27MM
  • DJ LeMahieu, INF: Two years, $24MM
  • CC Sabathia, LHP: One year, $8MM
  • Brett Gardner, OF: One year, $7.5MM
  • Troy Tulowitzki, SS: One year, $555K
  • Total spend: $140.055MM

Trades and Waiver Claims

Extensions

Notable Minor League Signings

Notable Losses

Bolstering a rotation that was rife with uncertainty following an up-and-down 2018 season was the Yankees’ top priority in the 2018-19 offseason. GM Brian Cashman acted quickly and decisively in the early-going, bringing back CC Sabathia for what will be the likely Hall of Famer’s final season and acquiring one of the best available starters on the trade market in the form of James Paxton. New York parted ways with vaunted prospect Justus Sheffield and another potential big league starter, Erik Swanson, in order to acquire the final two seasons of control over Paxton. While that move could ultimately prove beneficial to the Mariners, the Yankees have more immediate postseason aspirations and needed more certainty than the pair of promising young hurlers could provide. Paxton’s acquisition looks all the more critical now that it seems as though Luis Severino will be sidelined into the summer.

With Paxton and Sabathia secured, the Yankees sought to lock up one of their more successful midseason acquisitions in recent memory and managed to accomplish that goal at a lower rate — or, at least, on a shorter term — than many expected. J.A. Happ’s two-year, $34MM contract looks eminently reasonable for a pitcher who thrived to the tune of a 3.48 ERA over his past 690 MLB innings. Happ didn’t truly break out until his age-32 season, but he’s turned in four consecutive seasons of at least 25 starts with a 3.65 ERA or better in each of those years.

Outside of the rotation, the top need on a stacked Yankees roster was to round out the infield in the wake of Didi Gregorius’ Tommy John surgery. Gleyber Torres’ ability to play either middle-infield slot meant the Yankees didn’t need to limit themselves to solely exploring true shortstops. New York was frequently connected to Manny Machado and even took him to dinner in Manhattan to talk shop, but the team’s interest always seemed to be less serious than that of the Phillies or White Sox. By the time the Padres emerged as a late, serious bidder in the Machado auction, the Yankees were a distant memory. The team undoubtedly had a price at which it’d have jumped into the bidding, but that clearly was nowhere near the Padres’ $300MM mark and may not have even been especially close to the White Sox’ distant second-place bid of a reported $250MM.

Rather than pursue Machado, the Yankees rolled the dice on a player who was at one point as highly regarded as Machado is now. Troy Tulowitzki didn’t play a game in 2018 and hasn’t been a high-quality regular in nearly a half decade, but when the Blue Jays ate the remainder of his contract, the Yankees felt comfortable in taking a league-minimum gamble on the five-time All-Star. Tulowitzki’s addition was supplemented by a two-year deal with one of his former teammates, DJ LeMahieu, whose presence deepened an impressive collection of infield talent.

Around the time of the 2018 trade deadline, first base looked like it’d be an area of focus for the Yankees in the offseason, but Cashman and his lieutenants made a savvy bargain pickup of Luke Voit. While the Yankees surely liked Voit at the time of his acquisition — in a trade that sent since-DFA’ed lefty Chasen Shreve and Triple-A righty Giovanny Gallegos to St. Louis — no one could have foreseen Voit’s Ruthian surge down the stretch. The burly slugger captured the hearts of Yankees fans with a preposterous .322/.398/.671 slash and 15 home runs in just 161 plate appearances as a Yankee following the trade (and kicked off the 2019 season with a three-run round-tripper as well). Between Voit and the talented but fragile Greg Bird, the Yankees suddenly had a pair of useful and inexpensive options. LeMahieu, too, is expected to log some time at first base in 2019.

Though the bullpen was already robust even with some key names departing, the Yankees doubled down on their “too much is never enough” strategy with regards to their relief corps. Though David Robertson was allowed to depart, they re-upped Zach Zack Britton on a three-year contract and brokered another three-year pact with Adam Ottavino on the heels of a breakout season in Colorado. Pairing that duo with incumbent options like Aroldis Chapman, Chad Green, Dellin Betances and Jonathan Holder creates yet another uber-pen for second-year skipper Aaron Boone.

Of course, all of this writing so far has overlooked the Yankees’ first move of the offseason — one that now looks particularly prudent. Brett Gardner might not have filled a dire need outside of deepening an already strong roster, but injuries to Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Hicks and ever-fading Jacoby Ellsbury have suddenly made the decision to retain Gardner an important one. It’s true that the organization could have found some more affordable depth late in the offseason — Adam Jones took a year and $3MM with the D-backs in March — but Gardner is a known clubhouse asset that the team trusts all over the outfield.

Certainly, the Yankees pursued other avenues to improvement this winter. They were never in on Bryce Harper despite the expected barrage of rumors connecting the two sides early in free agency. Harper said after signing in Philadelphia that he never heard from the Yankees, in fact. But the team was linked to the likes of Noah Syndergaard and Patrick Corbin (whom they also hosted for an in-person visit) as they sought to bulk up the rotation, and there was even talk of potentially shipping out Miguel Andujar for rotation help (in a scenario where they’d then sign Machado to man third base). The Yankees are always at the forefront of free-agent and high-profile trade rumblings, and this offseason, as one might expect, was no different.

Questions Remaining

Clearly, the biggest question surrounding the Yankees right now is whether they’ll be able to get their roster up to full strength. Severino signed a four-year, $40MM extension and was shut down first for a couple of weeks due to shoulder inflammation and now for six more weeks due to a lat strain. Hicks passed on free agency in favor of an extension that promised him an additional six years and $64MM on top of what he was already slated to earn in ’19. He went down with a back issue in Spring Training and has yet to play a game. Meanwhile, Stanton is out for much of April with a biceps strain and Andujar is faced with the possibility of surgery to address a labrum tear in his right shoulder.

That pileup of injuries, though, is precisely the reason that the Yankees added LeMahieu and re-signed Gardner despite lacking clear paths to regular at-bats for both players. Winning teams have placed an even greater emphasis than ever on depth in recent years (e.g. Dodgers, Brewers), even if it means that a full-strength roster would appear to have a number of logjams.

The Yankees are likely asking themselves whether they have enough depth in the rotation — particularly with Dallas Keuchel still unsigned. Paxton, Happ and Tanaka makes for a fine top three, but Sabathia’s durability isn’t what it once was and it’s hard to be confident that Severino will simply bounce back without any lingering effects or flareups once he does make it back to the mound. None of Paxton, Happ or Tanaka has a track record of 200-inning seasons, and Gonzalez will need some time to get up to speed in Triple-A. Internal alternatives like Domingo German, Jonathan Loaisiga and Chance Adams have promise but also come with the potential to leave the Yankees with a weak, overexposed rotation for an unacceptable period of time in a competitive three-team race.

It’s also a bit surprising that the Yankees’ top plan at shortstop was to simply hope for the best with an injury risk as significant as Tulowitzki, who logged just 66 games in 2017-18 and was last a convincingly above-average hitter in 2014. It’s true that if Andujar were healthy, Torres could’ve slid to shortstop with LeMahieu taking over at second base in the event of a Tulo injury, but they’d have had a much more stable middle-infield setting by making that Plan A and signing a glove-first backup. There was no shortage of affordable options, with Freddy Galvis, Jose Iglesias and Adeiny Hechavarria all on the open market. I’ll buy that the Tulowitzki gambit presented the highest possible value upside, but it was a reach to pencil him in for significant playing time while Gregorius mends. If Gregorius has any setbacks in his recovery from Tommy John, it’s easy to see the Yankees looking for middle-infield help this summer.

2019 Season Outlook

Injuries will test the considerable depth cultivated by the front office this winter. The Yankees are in a three-team race with the Red Sox and Rays — a pair of teams with notable questions themselves; Boston’s bullpen is the type you’d expect to see on a rebuilding club, whereas Tampa Bay is again banking on a series of creative bullpen machinations and affordable young position players. Neither the Yankees nor the Red Sox look as imposing early on as one might’ve expected midway through the offseason, but all three of the top dogs in the AL East have viable postseason chances. The Yankees are a lock to be in the mix for the playoffs, but the rate at which their current glut of 11 injured players can mend will determine the extent to which they need to augment the roster to keep pace come June and July.

How would you grade the Yankees’ offseason? (Link to poll for Trade Rumors app users.) 

How would you grade the Yankees' offseason?
B 45.73% (1,943 votes)
C 21.98% (934 votes)
A 20.33% (864 votes)
F 6.47% (275 votes)
D 5.48% (233 votes)
Total Votes: 4,249

Angels, Parker Bridwell Agree To Minor League Deal

By | at

The Angels have agreed to a minor league contract with right-hander Parker Bridwell, according to multiple reports (including Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, on Twitter). It’ll be his third stint with the Halos organization. Presumably, he’ll eventually find his way to Triple-A Salt Lake, though he could also get his feet wet in extended Spring Training or with a lower-level affiliate early on. He’d been with the Athletics in Spring Training but was released a few days into the season after failing to break camp with the A’s.

Bridwell, 27, had an awful 2018 season but was a key member of the Halos’ pitching staff as recently as 2017. That year, he pitched to a 3.64 ERA in 121 innings (20 starts, one relief appearance). Bridwell’s meager 5.4 K/9 mark and sky-high strand rate pointed to some regression, though certainly not to the extent that he struggled last year (13 runs in 6 2/3 MLB frames; 27 runs in 28 Triple-A innings).

The Angels know they’ll be without Andrew Heaney for at least another month, and they opened the year with Nick Tropeano (shoulder) and J.C. Ramirez (recovering from 2018 Tommy John surgery) on the injured list as well. Beyond that, they will of course be without Shohei Ohtani’s presence in the rotation for the entire 2019 season. Injury issues have utterly decimated the Angels’ pitching staff for the past few seasons, so adding a familiar face who’s had success in the upper minors and at the MLB level is a logical move.

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top